Nervous System

• Pathophysiology


  The study of the functional changes that occur in a disease
• Stroke

  Impaired blood supply to affected area. Loss of function, with symptoms to affected brain tissue
• Symptoms of a stroke

  Face - has their face fallen on one side?

  Arms - Can they raise both arms and keep them there?

  Speech - is their speech slurred

  Time - call 999
• What causes an acute ischemia stroke

  Small artery occlusion

  Large artery atherosclerosis

  Cardiac embolism

  etc
• What causes haemorrhagic stroke?

  Primary intracerebral hemorrhage

  Amyloid angiopathy

  Hypertension

  Secondary intracerebral hemorrhage

  Aneurysm - dilation of a weakened blood vessels

  Drugs

  Vascular malformation
• causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage

  Arteriovenous malformation

  Cerebral contusion damages blood vessels

  Ruptured arterial aneurysm, usually anterior circulation
• causes of venous sinus thrombosis

  Hypercoagulable state, due to familial causes, exogenous oestrogen, pregnancy and post-partum. Increased venous pressure from obstruction of venous drainage.
• What is an ischaemic core?


  Brain tissue destined to die
• What is a pnumbra?


  salvageable brain area
• what is aphasia?

  inability to comprehend or produce language
• what is aphasia caused by?


  Left hemisphere damage
• what is left sided agnosis?

  visual perception deficit
• what causes left sided agnosia

  right hemisphere damage
• contralateral hemiparesis


  weakness on the side of the body opposite to injury
• apraxia

  motor planning deficits
• Agraphia

  Inability to communicate by writing
• Homonymous hemianopia

  One sided visual field loss
• what causes expressive broca’s/motor aphasia

  lesion to frontal lobe
• What is excessive broca’s/motor aphasia?

  Inability to produce language
• what is contralateral homonymous hemianopia?

  visual field loss on opposite side
• what causes contralateral homonymous hemianopia?

  infarction of occipital cortex
• what is receptive wernicke’s/sensory aphasia?

  inability to comprehend language
• what causes receptive wernicke’s/sensory aphasia?

  lesion to superior temporal gyrus of temporal lobe
• what is alexia?


  reading difficulty
• Non Neural complications


  • Increased risk of pneumonia
  • Urge and Overflow incontinence, this means they have an increased risk of UTI
  • Increased DVT risk = risk of pulmonary embolism
  • increased risk of falls and bone fractures
  • Pressure ulcers